Chapter 21: A Tree Hill Raven always knows actions speak louder than words, but emotions tell the truth.

Haley stands over the sink in the dining hall bathroom, refreshing before heading down to the field games. Her hands clench the marble countertop as she looks in the mirror, trying to contain her smile. She was an adult, a twenty-seven year old woman. She shouldn't feel this blossoming in her chest from a simple gesture. Nathan had always been unexpectedly kind, and understanding, and gentle. It should come as no surprise he's taking the high road in an unimaginably awkward situation.

And yet… in expecting the worst, she was feeling the best. Her heart pounding at a hummingbird-beat she hadn't felt since high school. He hadn't just told her to stay; he'd called her Hales. HALES! It'd rolled off his tongue as if he'd said it every day the last ten years. Hearing it was like a wormhole pulling her back to a time she never dared to revisit. First love. Only love. But just in this moment, before she pulls it together and dons the emotional armor she knows she'll need, Haley allows herself a moment of total comfort in the words of Nathan Scott. And it felt damn good.

She releases the marble countertop, hugging her sides in excitement, a giggle escaping her lips. Someone enters the bathroom, confused by whatever they just walked in on. Haley not so smoothly, starts patting down her side.

"There was a bee on my shirt," she says, her face red with embarrassment.

"There's a bee in here?" The person says, squealing as they run into a stall. "I'm allergic!"

"Okay, no, not really," Haley squeaks out as she leaves in a hurry out the bathroom door. She doesn't stop her power walk until she's out on the campus green. God, Tree Hill Prep really did reduce her to her teenage self – a puddle of unchecked emotion. Gosh, she felt like such a dork! A bee? Really?!

…

Nathan, Peyton, and Jake sit in one of the boxes of the wooden bleachers overlooking the recreation fields. Other teams are starting to gather in surrounding box seats. People stop to greet Nathan and every now and then he gives the occasional autograph (much to his chagrin). When he finally has a moment of peace, he turns to the co-conspirators.

"So," Nathan says, eyeing them with amusement.

"So…" Peyton replies.

"What the hell was that?" Nathan asks.

"What the hell was what?" Jake asks innocently.

"Me being cornered into asking Haley to stay."

"I don't know if I'd say cornered," Peyton remarks.

"I definitely wouldn't say cornered," Jake notes. "Maybe persuaded. Maybe, highly recommended. Maybe, conscionably swayed. But not cornered."

"Congratulations, you studied English Lit," Nathan jokes. "Any way you cut it, you two pulled some shit. What is this, some sort of plan?"

"Why would you think there's a plan?"

"Because there's always a plan," Nathan spits out.

"Ah, no," Peyton retorts. "If anything, the plan would be to keep you and Haley separated at all costs. If Brookie-two-shoes had her way."

Nathan laughs to himself. "Sometimes I thinks she took things harder than me."

Peyton nods in agreement.

Jake looks at Nathan, all kidding aside. "Look man, you know we're buds. And I'll always have your back. Always have. But, I know you know that whatever went down leading up to graduation, we don't know the whole story. You don't know the whole story. I'm not going to burn someone at the stake for something I know nothing about."

"I mean, you know enough. You know she left me, her husband, at this school, and never looked back." Nathan points out. He reclines in his chair, exhausted. Nervous.

"Nathan," Peyton clears her throat, taking one of his hands. She leans into him, looking him in the eye; friend to friend. "From one emotional fuck-up to another, stop running. I did not think she would show up. I truly didn't. But she's here. And I don't know, that has to mean something?"

"It means she and I are both masochists."

"I'm being serious!" Peyton chides.

"Look," Nathan says, thinking. "I get what you're saying. But what if I don't want any of this to mean anything? What if I just want to enjoy my high school reunion, with my friends."

Jake laughs at this, he and Peyton share a look.

"What?" Nathan asks.

"Dude, you came here with Rachel," Jake points out.

"Talk about being armed for battle," Peyton remarks.

Nathan goes to speak, but his friends eye him knowingly.

"Fine, that's fair," Nathan agrees.

"Speaking of," Peyton says, watching Rachel approach. She comes to a stand behind Nathan, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Well don't you three look cozy," Rachel greets. "Where's Brucas?"

"Freshening up," Peyton answers.

"I'm sure they are," Rachel retorts. She notices Haley coming up the bleachers, taking the opportunity to swing around Nathan, taking a seat on his lap. He grimaces slightly at the PDA.

"Could I interest you in a seat?" Peyton says, waving her hand to the open seats in her box.

"I'm good." Rachel states. "How's my Naters?"

Nathan rolls his eyes, "Rachel."

"Oh lighten up," she says, grabbing his chin to face her. She placed a kiss on his lips. "You good?"

"Yeah," Nathan says. "Thanks for checking."

"Gotta keep Daddy happy," Rachel cooes, getting up.

"Gross," Peyton makes a barfing face.

"Smell you losers later. We're going to smoke you," Rachel jokes, heading back towards her team. She watches with satisfaction as Haley jogs down the bleachers and off the field.

"Who? You and Tim," Nathan laughs.

"And Bevin and Skillz."

"Good luck with that, Rach!" Jake calls. Rachel throws him the finger before finding a seat in her box. Nathan waits to make sure she stays put, before turning quickly to his friends.

"What am I going to do about that?"

"I don't know Daddy," Jake jokes.

"Ugh," Nathan sighs. "Dude, it's not even like that. That's Rachel being Rachel."

"Yeah well," Peyton states. "Rachel wants to be Rachel all over your Nathan."

"Watch you mouth Sawyer," Brooke calls from behind, sliding in next to Peyton. Lucas follows.

"What the hell did I just walk into?" Lucas chokes out.

"I don't even know man," Nathan states.

"Rachel was just marking her territory," Peyton notes.

The group is interrupted by the screech of the microphone as Dean Hargrove stands at a podium on the field. Their attention turns his way.

"My Ravens! Welcome to Friday Field Day of the Class of '09 Reunion Weekend. I am delighted for the activities we have planned for today. As I mentioned at breakfast, we will partake in a field day today with your etiquette teams. We'll begin the day with a series of team activities, followed by an afternoon of partnered activities, capping off with my favorite event tonight in the dining hall – Trivia! A battle of brains and brawns!"

Brooke looks around the group, noticing Haley's absence, "Where's Hades?"

"Brooke," Nathan warns. Brooke shrugs her shoulders innocently.

"That is a good question though," Lucas agrees. "We need the brains."

The group scopes out the bleachers, no Haley in sight. They tune back in enough to hear the first game will be soccer. Peyton knows she shouldn't, but something in her gut tells her to find Haley. She pipes in before the conversation can spiral further.

"I'll go find her," Peyton offers.

"Peyton, don't," Brooke pleads. Nathan and Lucas are intriguingly quiet.

"So my hand-eye coordination is sub-par at best. Let alone my chicken feet. I promise you – not having me on the field will help our team. And I'll be back with our disappearing sixth by the time you're done."

"It's your choice," Brooke concedes, but she's not happy.

"You should go," Lucas agrees. Brooke scoffs. "We agreed at breakfast Haley should stay. Now, it's on her to do that. Find her."

Jake claps Lucas on the back. "Welcome to the dark side, Luke."

Lucas laughs, Peyton gets up.

"See you guys in a bit."

...

Haley sits on top of an old metal equipment box under the bleachers, honestly embarrassed at her ability to go from so elated, to so dejected in the span of thirty minutes. She wipes a few stray tears, doing her best to suppress this irrational wave of sadness. Of course, Nathan is with someone else. Of course!

And that person just happened to be Rachel, of all people.

Haley saw them come into the cocktail hour together, but she wrote it off as coincidence. Honestly, the shock of seeing Nathan kind of threw any other observation out the window. But today's a new day, and just now as she was walking up onto the bleachers, she got a front-row seat to Nathan with Rachel on his lap, placing a kiss on his lips. There's no dismissing that.

Haley wasn't naïve enough to mistake Nathan's kindness for another chance. But she certainly didn't expect to have to muster the courage to put on a smiling face as she watched the love of her life be with someone else. Especially, when that person has always been a problematic wench.

"I spy with my little eye," Peyton observes, startling Haley. "Someone not holding up her end of the bargain."

"Peyton," Haley dismisses, trying to pull herself together. "Not now."

"I went out on a limb for you, getting Nathan to let you stay. And then the first thing we do, you up and vanish?"

"You're talking to me, I haven't vanished," Haley disagrees.

"Well you didn't show up," Peyton notes.

"What am I like, five minutes late? God forbid I'm human."

Peyton nods, accepting that truth. She moves closer, taking a seat next to Haley on the metal equipment box.

"Where's the chipper Haley from breakfast? Don't tell me the coffee's worn off that quick."

"I don't know. Probably somewhere Nathan and Rachel aren't making out in front of everyone," Haley reveals, looking at Peyton accusingly. "You know, if you just wanted me to stay to watch me squirm, I'd rather just leave."

"Squirming means you care," Peyton notes.

"So not the point," Haley states, getting up from the box.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

"Maybe I should've," Haley disagrees, playing with the knot in her shirt. "I think I had some unrealistic notions starting to creep up. And now –"

"Now?" Peyton questions.

"Now, I'm just your classmate who showed up for old times sake," Haley confirms. "Strictly here for the reunion."

Peyton nods, listening. She's not convinced. "Well, all right."

Haley follows Peyton back out to the recreation fields. They stand at the sidelines watching as Nathan and Lucas dominate the game. No matter what sport they play, those two always shine. As if he could feel her presence, Nathan immediate hones in on Haley's arrival.

She watches in her leggings and cropped-Ravens t-shirt. Something about it so reminiscent of his basketball days…

…

10 Years Ago – January

Haley stands on the sidelines stretching with Brooke, Peyton, and her fellow cheerleaders. They're gearing up for the first game of the season. She pulls down on the hem of her uniform top, not used to showing her mid-drift.

"Don't be afraid to flaunt it Hales," Brooke encourages. "You've got a rockin' bod."

"Thanks Brooke," Haley laughs. "But this is totally not my style. Maybe this whole cheerleading thing was a mistake…"

"Please Hales," Brooke begs. "We need you. Half the people on this team have two left feet."

"Including me," Haley reminds.

"But I don't love them as much as you! Please, for my sanity, stick with it," Brooke pleads. "Besides, with Peyton and I cheering, GiGi announcing, who are you going to sit with every game? Ms. Roe? Because sitting with your advisor would be pathetic."

"Hey! She's pretty cool and we run the tutoring center together."

"The point you're missing is, how many more moments are you going to get with your friends? It's senior year! Please just do this one last thing with us," Brooke begs.

"You do realize how many 'one last things' I've done this whole school year for you, right?" Haley points out.

"Welcome to my life," Peyton jokes.

"Did I mention Nathan is going to totally die when he sees you in this outfit? You're both supportive and gorgeous! He may just keel over at the sight."

"She does have a point there," Peyton agrees. "Nathan seriously won't know what hit him."

Haley blushes. "You think? I'm just afraid it'll be so not me."

"It's not you," Peyton points out. "But that's what makes it great, you know? You're doing something purely to support someone you care about; even if it means going outside your comfort zone."

"I hadn't thought about it like that," Haley says, smiling. "Nathan deserves it. Doesn't he?"

"That boy would go to the ends of the earth for you," Brooke states. "The least you can do is go to the sidelines."

Haley thinks it over, embracing whatever confidence she could manage. "You're right. I'm being silly."

"Not silly, just be confident in yourself. You're a badass," Peyton reminds. "Sometimes the world tries to convince us we're not."

"Thanks Pey," Haley says, grabbing Peyton and Brooke into a hug. "And Brookie."

Brooke looks up to find the boys filing out of the locker room for warm-ups. Nathan jogs to a complete stop when he realizes who's back is to him.

"Now, if that ain't a boy in love, I don't know what is," Brooke whispers as Haley turns to find Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. She gives a little wave, stepping away from the girls as Nathan strays from his teammates to jog across the court to Haley.

Nathan's eyes are bright, his smile beaming as he takes in his girlfriend's head-to-toe in Ravens attire. "What's this?"

"You're looking at Tree Hill's newest cheerleader," Haley admits, her cheeks blushing. "Brooke talked me into it."

"Oh she did, did she?" Nathan says, wrapping Haley into a hug. He whispers in her ear, "Remind me to thank her."

Haley swats at him playfully, laughing. "You don't think it's weird?"

"No… definitely not weird. My girl, showing interest in my hobby? That's hot."

"It's not a hobby Nathan. It's your dream," Haley reminds. "And I want to be there for you."

"And that's why I love you," Nathan states, pushing a strand behind her ear. "One of the million reasons you're different from anyone else I've ever met."

"Nathan, you're embarrassing me," Haley says, turning away from him. Her face now crimson.

"It's true," Nathan says. "Thank you, Hales, for believing in me. I know it's just cheerleading, but you have no idea how much this means to me."

Haley pulls Nathan back into a hug, beyond happy, lowering his face so she could pepper it with kisses. "Now go get 'em, hotshot."

"What's this? A new pre-game ritual?" Nathan jokes.

"I think so," Haley says, beaming as Nathan turns to return to the team. She swats at his butt, looking way-too-good in his basketball shorts.

"Ay," Nathan says, laughing as he turns back to her.

"Also a pre-game ritual," Haley laughs.

"Yeah, well, just wait until you see my post-game ritual," Nathan warns, the tension in the air crackling with chemistry. Haley blushes, completely flustered. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Scott!" Whitey calls, getting his star player's attention.

"You're lucky Whitey's here," Nathan whispers before jogging away. He smiles as he hears Haley say, just loud enough for only him to here – "You're lucky Whitey's here too."

…

Nathan's attention snaps back into the game, nearly missing a pass Brooke kicks to him. He lunges to stop the ball with his foot at the last second, then dribbles, kicking it effortlessly into the goal. He notices Haley do a little jump, clasping her hands together in excitement as Peyton cheers them on. It's sad that no matter how many college games, March Madness finals, and NBA seasons he's played – arenas packed with screaming fans – none of it compares to the rush he feels at the sight of Haley cheering him on, even subtly.

And that reminder, that very feeling, scared Nathan Scott to his core.